It's been a very sad week. Two dear friends died within 24 hours. One was a colleague from 20 years back when I was director of the Media Center. She was one of the pioneer vocations to found the Cancao Nova congregation in Brazil; a group consecrated to Catholic media service inspired by former salesian priest Fr Habib. She fought and survived cancer 8 years ago but now succumbed as it spread to her lungs. The other was co-founder of our music school Magnificat 30 years ago. She had been fighting illness for the past years as well. I know her husband and son well. Her husband's brother is the parish priest here. The Christians here in the parish are deeply saddened and shocked by losing 2 members in one day. I had just returned home from the funeral of one when I received news that the other had died in Brazil.
And a day before that, Fr Leonides who worked here a couple of years ago as chaplain to the filipino community also suddenly died. It was totally unexpected.
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| Sr Elizabeth |
On a brighter note, Sr Elizabeth a filipina MC sister celebrated her silver jubilee yesterday. I presided a private Mass at the Holy Sepulchre with only the MC sisters attending. It was encouraging that some sisters from war ravished Nablus came as well. It's not safe to be outdoors there. I hope they reached home safely ... it's a 2 hour bus ride with at least one change of bus lines at Ramallah.
3 deaths and 1 celebration of life. The mystery of life.
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